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Grunts and thuds abound as men crash into each other. Leather flies through the air. Screams and cheers erupt. All of this in the name of entertainment. This isn't Gladiator 2; it's a football game. The main sport of autumn, football grabs the attention of men (and a few women) every weekend, some spending all day and most of the night watching the excitment unfold. If you are a fan of football, some of those watching with us have no idea what is happening. Here's a quick guide to help your stuffed penguin learn about football just in time for the college bowl games and NFL play-offs.

The Basics

The object of the game is for the offense of one team to move the ball into the endzone guarded by the other team's defense. The game is played over four equally timed quarters with the winner being the team with the most points at the end of the game. After two quarters, there is a stoppage of play called halftime in which the teams rest after the grueling first half of play.

The game is played on a large (usually grass) field. The field is 100 yards long with a 10 yard endzone at each end. Centered at the back of each endzone are goalposts, used for more point scoring opportunities. The field is marked off from the front of each endzone to the center in one-yard increments. Every fifth yard is marked the width of the field leading to a sole fifty yard line in the middle of the field.

Even though this game is called football, it rarely involves using your foot to hit the ball. The ball is moved toward the endzone either by running with the ball or by throwing the ball to another person on your team. As with any game though, there is always an obstacle to prevent scoring. In this case, the obstacle is a team of big, burly men.

Scoring

Scoring can be tricky at times, but here's the basic rundown. As mentioned above, the offense wants to move the ball into the endzone. A touchdown happens when the offense moves the ball into the endzone. A touchdown is six points. After the touchdown, there is a chance to score more points. The offense may try to kick the ball through the goalposts for one point (also called an extra point or PAT - Point After Touchdown) or they may try to put the ball into the endzone again for two points (commonly referred to as a two-point conversion). If the offense is unable to score a touchdown, they can try for a field goal. A field goal is when the offense kicks the ball through the goalposts without scoring a touchdown. A field goal is worth three points.

Although most points are scored by the offense, there are also opportunities for the defense to score points. If the defense can keep the offense from scoring by backing the offense into the opposite endzone, a safety occurs. A safety is worth two points. The defense can also score a touchdown if they can get the ball from the offense and carry it into the endzone they are facing.

Point Chart

Touchdown		6 points
	PAT	1 point
	Two Point Conversion	2 point
Field Goal		3 points
Safety		2 points

Next week, I'll break down the offense and defense.

[ November 25th 2001 15:43 ]